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Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Made in Poland

Made in Poland : You May Be Surprised! It's Polish Pierogi and much more! Made in Poland? It's the expected art pottery, lead crystal, amber jewelry, vintage dolls and unexpected designer fashions.

When I was growing up in Northeastern Ohio, I remember all the "made in Japan" or "made in Taiwan" items that were prevalent in our house. I really don't remember so much of "made in China" like you see today, nor did I ever see something that was "made in Poland" except the comfort food Polish Pierogi, potato pancakes or cold beet borscht made by my Polish fraternal grandmother! Oh, and to be Polish was definitely not cool. Things sure have changed, right?

I became very interested in my Eastern European ancestry and began my genealogical research. About the same time, I became fascinated with what designer items I was finding that were made in Eastern Europe!

By the way, the significance of this page to Squidoo lensmasters? Oh, simple! This was one of my first instances of writing in a series of related topics! In March 2006 I initiated the "Made in" series of lenses to celebrate all that is
Eastern European. I initially wrote about Made in Hungary and Made in Romania to celebrate my Eastern European heritage.

You may find yourself pleasantly surprised on what cool items you can find that are made in Poland. Allow me to introduce you to some fabulous finds!

Doing a search of "made in Poland" on eBay resulted in some 1,464 items on eBay auctions and an additional 4,848 items in eBay stores! Personally, I'm rather surprised by that number. To me, it seems a bit higher than I expected. Perhaps, you will be equally surprised when you see what items you can find that are labeled as "made in Poland."

Made in Poland on eBay
Doing a quick search on eBay, it was interesting to note all the variety of items I found to be "made in Poland" and available for sale. Here are a few of the categories and number of items listed.

For 1999, domestic manufacturers of apparel and accessories reported sales worth USD 1.25 billion. This figure accounts for sales of companies with at least 50 employees. Sales for the sector as a whole is likely to be much higher because small to medium sized companies (less than 50 employees) continue to account for strong share of the market. The main Statistical Office (GUS) reported that in the first 9 months of 1999, apparel companies invested USD 40 million in their business. Over USD 20 million of these investments were for machinery, equipment, and hi-tech manufacturing technologies.

In 1999, Polish exports of apparel and accessories were reported to be worth USD 1.8 billion. About 95% of these exports went to European Union countries (EU), mainly Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, and Belgium. The other 5% was broken down into non-EU western countries, mainly the US and Switzerland with 2.6%, and Central and East European countries, mainly the Czech Republic, Russia and Slovakia with 2.4%.

The breakdown of Polish exports by category was as follows:
- suits, jackets, blazers, dresses and skirts for women and girls, 37%;
- suits, jackets, blazers and trousers for men and boys, 26%;
- blouses and shirts for women and girls, 13%;
- shirts for men and boys, 7%; and,
- overcoats, 16% (8% for women and 8% for men).

The breakdown of Polish imports by category was:
- suits, garment combinations and jackets for men and boys, 35%;
- suits for women and girls, 26%;
- overcoats and windbreakers for men and boys, 12%;
- blouses and shirts for women and girls, 10%; and, - undergarment for men and women.

Alice Temperley designer items are quite often "made in Poland"
"Today Alice Temperley is the designer making the biggest waves in British fashion, in a very short time, Temperley has been able to build a business that rivals not only those of her more starry contemporaries but those of older more established houses as well." --US Vogue

Temperley London was launched during London Fashion Week in September 2000 and has quickly grown to become one of the most desirable fashion brands in the world. The company operates three stand alone stores in London, New York and Los Angeles as well as various concessions.

Temperley London fans include Scarlett Johannson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Naomi Watts, Molly Sims, Mischa Barton, Keira Knightley and Claudia Schiffer. The Temperley London Black label, which is defined by incredible craftsmanship and timeless creations, is continuously featured on many of the important Red Carpet occasions around the world.

Kenzo designer items quite often are "made in Poland"
Takada Kenzo was one of seven children and developed an interest in fashion through reading the magazines of his sisters. Born in Himeiji City, Hyogo Prefecture, he quit Kobe University to try to become one of the first male students at Tokyo's Bunka Fashion College (Bunkafukuso Gakuin).

His parents did not approve of his career ambitions and he had to work part-time in Tokyo to support himself while he did evening prep courses in design. After some six months, he was finally accepted to the prestigious college and the kind of determination that got him there was to serve him well in the future.

Laura Ashley designer items that are "made in Poland"
Laura Ashley (7 September 1925-17 September 1985) was a Welsh designer. She became a household name on the strength of her work as a designer and manufacturer of a range of colourful fabrics for clothes and home furnishings.

Audrey Hepburn inadvertently sparked the growth of one of the world's most successful fashion and home furnishing
companies. Hepburn appeared alongside Gregory Peck in the 1953 film Roman Holiday, wearing a headscarf. As such a fashion icon, she instantly created a style that became popular around the globe. The Ashleys' scarves quickly became successful with stores.

In 1966 Laura produced her first dress for social rather than work attire. The long length silhouette become the Laura Ashley trademark.

Robert Talbott shirts that are "made in Poland"
There are French Cuff, Oxford, Striped and Multicolor shirts!

Greek-born Sophia Kokosalaki is one of London's rising stars in fashion. Her romantic, Grecian-inspired designs are sculptural yet surprisingly futuristic and edgy. Her Fall 2006 ready-to-wear runway show was the largest collection that she has shown in Paris. The success of this most recent show has confirmed her status as an "independent designer with a voice of her own."

In 2004 she was asked to create the opening and closing ceremony outfits for the Summer Olympic Games in Athens -
her hometown. Her designs have appealed to celebrities such as Kate Moss and Courtney Love. Her inventive use of textiles and leathers are also evident in her exclusive line for Nine West. The price range for her collection will be $200 - $450. Her line will be available in November.

Vera Wang designer items that are "made in Poland"
Hello! We are searching eBay to find Vera Wang designer items that are "made in Poland." Sometimes there might be such items, but the seller doesn't know to indicate that they are indeed made in Poland.

Lingerie: An unexpected find "made in Poland"
Honestly, I was a bit surprised to find a sexy item to be "made in Poland." It was a Sexy Exotic Stripper Dancer Black Velvet G-String Set.

With a population of 38.7 million (including 19.9 million women), Poland offers a significant and promising market for lingerie. The lingerie market in Poland was worth USD 83 million in 1999 and is expected to achieve USD 86 million
in 2000. Most lingerie items sold in Poland are produced domestically, and prices are in the medium to low range. Domestic production in 1999 was USD 181.1 million and is estimated to be USD 121 million in 2000. About 72% of Polish lingerie in 1999 was exported, and the remaining 28% was sold domestically. The same trend appears in the first half of 2000.

In 1999, imports of lingerie amounted to USD 50.5 million, a 9% increased over 1998. The largest suppliers were: Germany and China, 25% each; France, 10%; Italy, 9%: Hungary, 7%: Vietnam and Turkey, 4% each. The U.S. share was very limited, only 0.1% (USD 80.500). EU countries supplied 50% (USD 25 million) and developing countries 41% (20.8 million) of total imports. Similar results are expected in 2000.
The best sales prospects are stretch-lycra/cotton briefs and panties, brasseries, bodysuits, corsets, nightgowns and pajamas. The key competitive factors for suppliers are price, quality, innovative fashion and strong brand recognition. Also very important is market promotion. --www.infomat.com.

Did you know these people were "born in Poland?"
I've extracted a handful of famous or well-known "Poles" from a great list I found that was written and researched by Margaret Odrowaz-Sypniewska, B.F.A.!

Lauren Bacall (see Betty Joan Perske)

Carroll Baker (see Katolina Pierkarski)

Charles Buchinski changed his name to Charles Bronson and began his acting career.

Fryderyk F. Chopin (1810-1849). Famous composer.

Nicholas Copernicus, famous Polish astronomer.

Tara Lipinski is the famous Olympic ice skater.

Roman Polanski film director.

Pope John Paul II.

Maria (Manya) Sklodowska-Curie (1867-1934) was the first woman scientist to earn fame.

Lee Strasburg, acting teacher was born in Budazanow, Poland on November 17, 1901 as Israel Strassberg.

Lech Walesa (1943 - ) was the famous Polish Labor Party leader and President of Poland (1990-1995).

Baltic Sea Amber jewelry that is "made in Poland"
Did you know that you can find a LOT of Amber jewelry that was "made in Poland?" In a quick search on eBay, I found some 614 items available in auctions and some 1,791 items available in eBay stores.

Nordic legend says that Amber is the tears of the Goddess Freya and the sun that fell into the sea. The word "Amber" comes from the Greek word "Ambrosia" -- the food of the gods.

Millions of years old, this gemstone is a fossil from the resin of ancient Spruce pine trees of Prussia. Ancient Germanic tribes such as the Goths, other Nordic peoples, Celts, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Chinese and other peoples valued amber for it's beauty, protection and healing properties.

Amber was also called Electra, Bernstein or Northern Gold due to its electrical properties and golden color and was traded far and wide in the ancient world.Made in Poland: Slavic Treasures
Slavic Treasures was founded in 1995 by two lifelong friends Glenn Lewis and Dave Wegerek. When Glenn moved to Krakow, Poland, he became interested in the blown glass ornament industry. He contacted Dave and suggested starting their own glass ornament business. By the end of their first year, Slavic Treasures was already producing new and exciting, custom designed ornaments for established giftware manufacturers. In 1988, Slavic Treasures launched a complete line of glass ornaments designs under their own label.

The Slavic Treasures designs took the ornament world by surprise, introducing a new style of free-formed glass ornaments that had previously only been manufactured in Italy. Glenn also introduced some realistic animal designs, another innovation for a glass ornament company. By the year 2000, Slavic Treasures was already acclaimed as a leader in their industry, in terms of style, detail, and execution.

Unfortunately by 2004, Slavic Treasures changed the direction of the company to focus on their collegiate giftware line, thus retiring all non-licensed glass ornaments. --Slavic Treasures

As Zamoyski set out to update The Polish Way, his bestselling first history of Poland, he realized the task required not so much re-writing as re-thinking the known facts well as the assumptions of the past.

The events of the last twenty years and the growth of the independent Polish state allowed him to look at Poland's past with a fresh eye. Tracing Poland's complex development from the Middle Ages to present day, Zamoyski examines the country's political, economic, and military struggles, as well as its culture, art, and richly varied society through the ages, bringing the major events and characters in Poland's history to life.

Thanks for visiting!

Are you of Polish ancestry? Do you have any Polish-made items? Are you surprised to see all the items that are indeed made in Poland?

Do you know, that growing up in Northeastern Ohio we heard a LOT of Polish jokes, thanks to that Ghoulardi who hosted the late night movies on Friday's. He was in a white lab coat, wore a funny furry wig and strange glasses. He was always shouting, "Cool it with the boom-booms!" Then he'd blow something up with a firecracker.

I believe he also said that if you were Polish, you usually lived in Parma or Parma Heights and wore white socks and pants that were looking for a flood. Hey, now those are trendy cropped pants and I WEAR them!

History: Made in Poland: You May Be Surprised was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on August 27, 2007. Highest lensrank ever achieved: #329 overall. Lens #84 in the quest for Giant Squid 100 Club Charter Member 2007.

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